Bisons pick up four points in busy three-game stretch

After losing a number of players to suspension after fireworks with the Killam Wheat Kings last week, the Wainwright Jr. ‘B’ Bisons had three games in six nights with a short bench.

But they managed to pick up four of the six possible points in the week with wins over the Lloydminster Bandits and the Onion Lake Border Chiefs.

The Bisons started their busy week with a road matchup against the Wheat Kings, a rematch after a wild game between the two rivals in Wainwright two nights prior. The Killam squad was up to their usual antics against the Bisons, with a myriad of penalties handed out throughout the game.

The Wheat Kings managed to keep it close with the Bisons through two periods, carrying a 3-3 tie into the final frame. But the Bisons gave up the lead with just over two minutes left to play and couldn’t claw their way back, falling 4-3 to the Wheat Kings.

Head coach Adam Huxley said he and his team knew what they were up against heading into Killam expecting much of the same behind-the-play and after-the-whistle extracurriculars they saw in Wainwright the previous game.

“The funny thing is, we go there and they just don’t want to play hockey.

They just want to be the tough team…We went there short staffed, and they played the way they want to play. We actually took the game to them the whole time. We had lots of chances, but just couldn’t score,” Huxley said.

“I can’t complain about the way our guys played. We had ample chances to score, and we carried the play 90 per cent of the game. They ended up with a win, but it’s December, and you don’t win a championship in December. We’ve made some additions to our team, so the next time we play them, it won’t be our skilled guys taking it to them. We’re there to play hockey. If you’re going to beat us by hard work and determination, that’s one thing. But if you’re going to be a sideshow and turn it into a circus, we’re tired of that.”

The next night, the Bisons returned home to host the Bandits. Wainwright made the most of their scoring chances throughout the game, potting nine goals en route to a 9-1 victory.

On Wednesday, the Bisons hit the road again to play in Onion Lake. Traveling with a short bench again, Huxley said he was happy to see some guys step up to lead the team and fill the holes in the lineup well.

The Bisons came out with a 3-2 victory in Onion Lake to improve their record on the season to 17-3.

“They were awesome. I saw a lot of character and resilience in our guys, and I saw some guys really step up. Carson James was huge. He was arguably our MVP these last few games. He’s really playing at another level right now,” Huxley said.

“He’s a guy who took that to heart, and man, he’s stepped up big time. He’s getting more involved as a great player and a great leader on this team.”

With a number of players unavailable the last few games, Huxley said the talent of their associated players and the depth they bring to the team has been a huge boost for the Bisons.

“Our APs are huge. We use our APs more than anybody in the league. When we put them in there, they play in some good situations or really work their way into them. It’s awesome for them to get that experience, becausedown the road if you have injuries in the playoffs and those guys are available, that’s a big difference maker,” Huxley said. He added that some of the first-year Bisons have started making a huge impact at the midseason point.

“Our defence is rock solid, and we’re playing with four defensemen some nights. You look at a guy like Josh Berg and obviously Keenan Scott and Curtis McKinlay, they make things tick back there. On Saturday night, Berg played unreal. He’s come so far this year. He’s really stepped up as a leader here as well.”

The team will hit the road again this weekend, with a couple more road games in Vermilion and Vegreville over the weekend. With plenty of road games through the month of December, Huxley said he is proud of his team for their resilience on the road, picking up big wins to help them keep pace with the league-leading St. Paul Canadiens.

“I just want us to keep playing our game. I want to keep putting bricks on the foundation of this team. These are adverse times, and those bricks are huge. So that’s what we’re doing right now. We’ve been road warriors, and I think we’re going to continue to be that,” he said.

“This weekend is a good test. Vermilion played us really hard last time, and I expect another battle from them. They have a great goalie over there. Then you look at Vegreville, and they had a shaky start against us. But this is two months later, and they’re a different team. That’s how we’ll approach it. We want to come out and just play our game so that we can stay consistent.”